February 6, 2025
Innovation of the Month - Ultra-High Performance Concrete
Ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) is known for its high-strength and durability qualities. Under EDC-6 UHPC for Bridge Preservation and Repair, UHPC was promoted specifically for steel beam end repairs, link slabs, and bridge deck overlays. EDC-6 also introduced the concept of sprayable UHPC, similar to conventional shotcrete. FHWA presented European deployment examples where sprayable UHPC was used to repair culverts and bridge abutments allowing the application of thin UHPC layers without any formwork. Given the many inquires related to sprayable UHPC, FHWA published a TechNote on the topic.
The Northern Virginia District of the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) conducted the first U.S. application of sprayable UHPC to repair a bridge abutment with spalled concrete and exposed, corroded rebar. The bridge is located within the intersection of the I-495 Capitol Beltway and Route 50 in Fairfax, VA.
A FIU team repairs a portion of spalled concrete using sprayable UHPC. (source: Florida International University)The Innovative Bridge Technologies/Accelerated Bridge Construction University Transportation Center (IBT/ABC-UTC) at Florida International University (FIU) performed the sprayable UHPC application in the Northern Virgina District as part of their USDOT-sponsored UTC. FIU used a non-proprietary UHPC mix and a custom spraying method, both of which they developed. The actual spray time for the spall repaired area shown in the photo was approximately 3 minutes per layer. Four layers were needed to build up the required one-inch average thickness to repair the spall. This demonstration was limited by the size of the mixer available for use, hence, only a portion of the entire spalled area was sprayed with UHPC. Larger areas are certainly possible with larger mix volumes, and higher build thickness can be accommodated with additional layers. This was a vertical application of sprayable UHPC and there are plans to further develop the technique to accomplish overhead spraying. Sprayable UHPC continues to show promise as a formless way to cast UHPC.
To learn more about UHPC for bridge preservation and repair, please contact David Garber or Justin Ocel in the FHWA Resource Center, or Ben Graybeal in FHWA Office of Research, Development, and Technology.
NCDOT Demonstrates Internally Cured Concrete in Bridge Decks
The U.S. construction industry's critical labor shortage needed over 500,000 additional workers in 2024. The Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) is addressing this by attracting new workers through outreach, community engagement, and pre-apprenticeship programs. Their initiatives include the Intern Maintenance Worker Program and the National Summer Transportation Institute, which provide hands-on experience and career exploration for students.
Vermont Addresses Transportation Workforce Shortages
The EDC innovation, Enhancing Performance with Internally Cured Concrete (EPIC2), promotes using internal curing to reduce shrinkage cracking in concrete. In North Carolina, near Durham, the North Carolina DOT (NCDOT) had reported issues of early age cracking on certain cement elements of a bridge and used the opportunity to test and evaluate internally cured concrete (ICC) in bridge deck replacements for improved performance and reduced maintenance.
NCDOT placed and finished the ICC like conventional concrete and the contractor verified no required additional equipment, time, or labor to construct the ICC portions of the bridge deck. This successful test showed NCDOT could use ICC with no insurmountable challenges and that using ICC in future NCDOT projects should result in longer-lasting structures with reduced maintenance and preservation costs.
To learn more about how your agency can benefit from or implement ICC, subscribe to EPIC2 email updates or contact Tim Barrett, FHWA Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center, or Mike Praul, FHWA Office of Infrastructure.
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Every Day Counts, a State-based initiative of the Federal Highway Administration's Office of Innovation and Workforce Solutions, works with State, local, and privatesector partners to encourage the adoption of proven and underutilized technologies to deliver transportation projects more efficiently, enhance safety forall users, support a sustainable and resilient infrastructure, and incorporate equity inproject planning and delivery.
EDC News is a weekly publication highlighting successful EDC innovation deployments across the country.
EDC News is published weekly by the FHWA Center for Accelerating Innovation.
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Recommended Citation:
U.S Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration
EDC News, February 6, 2025
Washington, DC
